Magic the what now?

[KingGolem]

So! Just last weekend I learned how to play Magic the Gathering, and the Thursday after I got my first deck. It is a modest red/blue burn deck that I bought for $30, assembled by my cousin who runs the local game shop. I find the game quite enjoyable, and currently have a record of 5 wins and 7 losses, but this is not what I came here to talk about.

Rather, I'm here because Magic the Gathering is HUGE at my college, and I would like to learn some more about it. That's where you guys come in: I want you to recommend me to websites, wikis, forums, and what have you that can increase my threadbare knowledge. Keep in mind, I am equally interested in learning about the game AND the setting, so I'd also like you to recommend any good MtG novels (and any other applicable media) that a newcomer could comprehend and enjoy.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Uncreation]

I would recommend this forum:

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/

probably the biggest out there. As far as sites, there are some, but the ones i know deal mostly with the competitive aspect of Mtg, so i don't know if you're interested. Also, i'm not sure what novels i should recommend you... i like the old ones better, like the ones that appeared over 10 years ago. The storyline behind magic is long, and i personally absolutelly HATE HATE HATE the most recent part. (Think about when the storyline of some comics/movies/games takes a Big turn, and how some fans just loathe it and will not accept any of the new stuff... well, that's how i feel about Mtgs storyline).

I would recommend The Brothers War or anything from the Artifacts Cycle. Or anything written before The Mending, for that matter. (The Mending is not the title of a novel, it's the name of an event.)

 

[ddrfr33k]

First off, welcome to your new anti-drug. (Seriously, crack is cheaper. ) Secondly, having a group of people you can play with is a big step in the right direction. If you're looking to get into competitive game play, MTGSalvation is one of the best. I don't spend nearly as much time there as some of my friends do, but it's definitely one of the top sites for analysis.

Also, look into the articles at http://www.dailymtg.com and peruse the archives. The developers will post comments about the back-story of how cards were made, and you can learn quite a bit about what people are doing in the tournament scene.

As far as historical records or wiki type sites, there's a bunch of small groups that try to make them. I've never seen one particularly worth my time, and as such tend to ignore them. I wish I had a better answer for you.

 

[Wildflowers]

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Multiverse/

Not to be completely trite, but the volume of information on the Wizards website is staggering. It includes articles for all gamer types - those just starting (how to build a pauper deck for this season) to the uber-1337 (best deck ranking in your area, etc). Aside from the playing aspect, it also has surprising amount of information about the 'multiverse'. It gives a quick breakdown of all the planes, the colours, and all that snazzy story stuff.

Very well laid out and amazingly accessible for newbies! Plus - BITCHIN WALLPAPERS!

 

[Samwise137]

My favorite (and it has been for years) is http://www.essentialmagic.com. Good comprehensive card database and deckbuilder. I don't like the forums over there as they come off as rather elitist but its not bad. I personally, am a collector at this point preferring to buy cards by the box and whatnot. I do, however run a couple of decks, all largely experimental legacy style. The new cards (meaning anything post Odyssey block), especially the latest block, come off as broken and don't sit well with me but regardless, the game is fun and unique. I'll give you the same advice I give my students: never underestimate the power of a bunch of commons. My blue and red decks give people hell even 14 years after some of the cards in them were released and neither is valued at over 30$.

 

[ntw3001]

Magic Deck Vortex [http://www.magicdeckvortex.com/forum/content.php] has a pretty large database of decks, I think mostly aimed at a casual playerbase. It's divided into themes and strategies, and blah blah blah if this description grabs you you're probably going to look at it anyway. It's pretty good for fun deck ideas, though. I've thought about about submitting my multiplayer decks there (I have 40 built at the moment), but I, uh, haven't done it and probably won't bother.

Oh yeah, and play multiplayer. Duels are for suckers! Look up the Star format; it uses five players and leads to some of the most interesting game situations I've encountered.

 

[KingGolem]

Excellent. Thank you all for your input. I shall browse through these sources you have provided and take a closer look at the Magic the Gathering section at my local used bookstore.